Lewis Hamilton will be inspired by Muhammand Ali's victory over George Foreman in 1974 when hunting down Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the the Formula 1 title race ahead of Sunday's British Grand Prix.

The British driver hopes to finally overhaul Rosberg at Silverstone after his teammate latest victory in Austria left Hamilton 29 points behind in the drivers' championship.

But Hamilton says ahead of his hometown race that he will have Ali's famous victory over Foreman in the 'The Rumble in the Jungle', among the finest sporting events ever seen.

"I think about Muhammad Ali. He sat on the rope and let [Foreman] have the upper hand until he decided it was the right time to turn it around," he told BBC Sport.

Rosberg has won the last three races but Hamilton is confident on halting the run with a first victory on home soil since 2008.

"I'm hoping I can do a similar thing. He inspires me in that fight. I am going to do everything to be out front," said Hamilton, who has had two retirements this year.

"Winning your home grand prix is one of the greatest experiences you can have as a driver," added Hamilton.

"I'm hopeful I don't have any more bad luck with the non-finishes and it's time to turn things around."